The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-01-13
.SNATCHED FROM JUSTICE.

gagemcnt in Washington. 4 took brief
vacation in order 70 visit dear relatives in
Phiiads-l ohia. before going to Boston, in
which city was my next date.
These relatives of mine were boarding
with Quaker family, and it WINS ultra
pious anil quiat household, oven for one OF
that c;rcuInspect scot, and we all had a good
deal of amusement in specializing as to
what they might think of the presence of a
play-acting woman lin their midst, - and
as to how l might like the quiet and prayer
full routine of so religious q household.
OF tails last had fears. felt quite
sure / s'ioI'i like it, l have passed many
deliSh-f1l hours within the walls of relig-
io1s horses. | remembered, and the recol-
lection ALWAYS comes to me with the sense
of rt~'i and peace, that comes like slippers
after s'io-5. week l once passed III a
coA, Italy, the sisters in charge of
with .Iiuy of them high born ladies, all
of sweet, pure and lovely women,
deyo. ,-l>ir lives to the care of little chill
dry.s .r halt, the lame, the blind, the
cru i or.ned were there. and
Bus. dear me- What am L doing in Italy
WHOM an ,lue in Philadelphia!
| lft Washington in the gray of the
moIning. true to a habit of mine, arriving
at tine depot full half hour early. / found
il almost empty. but / noticed in casual
way "a young man walking up ana uoWh
the platform and looking furtively about
him and nervously biting the ends of his
long blonde mustache.
When he me he evidently recognized
me and started forward as if he would
speak. then stopped. A deadly palior
overspread his haggard face; he turned
sharply away and walked rapidly in the
opposite direction.
NV idle curiosity was in an instant con
verified into interest
Trouble-deep, agonizing trouble-was
written III that mans face.
In that great trouble he had turned TO me;
but conventionality stalked between US,
rlistIing her fiimsy robes, flashing her pinch
beck Jewels. and frightened him off
After the hesitation of just one moment,
/ walked up to him and said: You We're
going To speak to me You are in trouble
You know me trust me. tell me all about
ID.
There ore supreme moments in all our
lives when conventionality, social usages. a
proper regard for appearances and all the
thin partitions put up by selfishness and
hypocrisy fall in crumbling little heap
brfore the slightest touch of truth in its
purity and might.
The man whom | addressed turned t.
me. his blue eyes filled with tears, he trent
be,l like frightened child or like a
woman when. after long hours of watching
and listening. she hears her drunken hlis-
bands footsteps: he looked fearingly about
him. and said, in hoarse, trembling
voice: - J am afraid any moment | may be
recognized: but help me-fOr Gods sake,
help me. as you would the dying
] was quite determined to- help him if /
could; the great question was. how?
| remembered that, when my ticket had
been purchased, there had also been pro-
cured drawing room in Pullman car
and the KEY of this drawing room had as a
special favor, been sent me, that l might on
coming To the train retire at once. if / so
wished.
saw in this circumstance CLEAN OF
light.
\ glance at the ticket gave me the name
of the ear, and IA survey of the depot showed
me that car few hundred yards off living
on "a side track,
Telling my protege to watch me closely,
and hold himself in readiness to obey any
signal might give him, assumed weary
manner and making my way up to- a por-
ter who was aS sleepy IA | pretended to he,
showed him my tickets and key. and at
the same time | showed him dollar and
asked him ii he did not think | could
get into the ear at once. AT first he was
quite sure l could not, but a good look at
the dollar IA it hay in his palm induced him
TO reverse that opinion, and the thought
that possibly might be able to do SO.
With the all OF his keys this was accom-
plishei Now | realized that the next
thing iInperatively needed was the Absence
of the porter from the scene for a few mo-
ments, for though by this time people be
gun To move about the depot ON their sew
rral interests, | realized that while my
movements might escape their notice this
he he. xxifb
who wOIid naturally keep his eye upon me-
looking beyond the present one To ths. dollar
OF the future.
/ now turned quite faint | murmured
that only a cup of coffee would revive me
This w,s "a proposition fraught with much
difficulty, AMI involving aS it did five
minutes ab-cnre from his post he could
not q his way To- that.
Another dollar cleared his vision
rs soon as his back disappeared around
the corner | s,gltled my suppliant and u
a nouraut | had him unobserved and safeS
loc,lel up with me in my drawing room for
a tive hours ri,ie.
Colld Anything he more reckless, more
sham lie $ han my conduct?
have oit.y Ia plead in exclamation that
never ~ liie OF varied experiences had |
seen picture OF more abi"ct misery than
that poor fellow presented.
In ttlC h'iuF Oi MS ntst<t he ntld CRED out
20 me for help knew, ! saw, that that
help must b. immediate. and with the
means t.iIt had ut hand | gave il.
When the porter brought the coffee | re-
ceivet il through the smallest possible slit
in the tOOr, AMI at the same time | handed
him my ticIets and begged him to give
them To- tine conductor and tell him was
III AMI weary, WIS going to try To sleep and
did not wish 10 b. disturbed
THU | sat down 10 hear my captive's
story ami To lind i'll il, hoped, some ex-
cuse Tor M own conduct that now began
to l3on W before me in very disagreeabls
ColoI~
AM here, stripped of the hesitation,
lam Isatlol aud despair of the teller, it is.
lie was tine son Of respectabl- pious people
in Philasl slphia He had been for the past
two wears in Washington, holding a posi-
ton oi trust in a bank. having been place,
there through the influence of a relative
who was a member OF the cabinet
The temptations of the capital had beer